


What Hurts the Most

by MelyndaR



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 15:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8166607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelyndaR/pseuds/MelyndaR
Summary: Looking him in the eyes, all she did was extend a clipboard; all she said was, “I need your co-signature on these, please.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the Mini Pepper Potts Week over on Tumblr.

“Tony?”

“Yeah, Pep?”

The idea of her and Tony taking a break from their relationship had seemed like such a good one when she’d first suggested it.

She’d nearly brought up taking a break many times actually – the most notably being after Aldrich Killian, but Tony had counteracted that impulse by blowing up his suits and undergoing surgery to get the shrapnel out of his chest. She’d felt hopeful for their future then.

Until he’d started rebuilding his suits. Ultron had been the last straw for her. Pepper had left then, in a storm of words that’d had a furious undertone no matter how calmly she said them.

 _It was nobody’s fault._ She’d said that over and over – made that much crystal clear before she left, even though she knew Tony wasn’t likely to believe her.

But there was still so much that she had left _un_ said when she’d walked away from their relationship, and it didn’t help that they were still running SI practically side by side. _I love you, Tony, and I probably always will. But I need you to get better, to be better, just for your own sake, if not for mine. I know you could do better, be so much better. I still believe in you; I still love you._

Yet standing there across the room from him and looking him in the eyes, all she did was extend a clipboard; all she said was, “I need your co-signature on these, please.”

Maybe that was why taking a break from their relationship still hurt so much.


End file.
